Display box



Aug. 4, 1931. R41. RHODES; JR

DISPLAY BOX Filed Jan. 13. 1930 2 Sheets-Shee 1 A.8- 4, 1931- R. l. RHODES, JR 1,817,766

DISPLAY BOX Filed Jan. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 msez'li Byies I: y flab? 97 8 6 Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 I RUSSELL I. RHODES,JR., OF NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MASON BOX COMPANY, OF, ATTLEBORO FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS DISPLAY- BOX Application filed January 13, 1930. Serial No; 420,345.

This invention relates to display boxes for jewelry or other articles of merchandise, and its principal object is to provide a container having a pair ofcomplemental box elements pivotally connected so that one element, constituting a reversible member, may be swung to closed position over an opening of the other with either of its opposite sides alternatively exposed, one side of the reversible member being adapted for the display of articles mounted thereon.

Recommended embodiments of the inven-- tion are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, preferred form being particularly 1 adapted for alternately enclosing and exhibiting a ,pen and pencil set, but it will be apparent that other articlesmay be mounted on the display side of the reversible member, andthat the size andshape of the box may be varied for the intended purpose. In the drawings: a

Fig.1 is a perspective view ofthe improved display box in position for displaying the articles mounted upon a reversible cover member or door of the box; I 'Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the mode of reversing-the door; V x t Fig. .3. is a perspective of the box with the doorreversed to enclose the articles;

":26 Fig. 4 is a plan of ablank suitable for forming the body'of the box;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section through the box shown in Fig. I; and Fig.6 is a similar sectional view of a 3'5" modification in which the reversible member. constitutes a cover for thetop of the box. 1 I

The particular embodiment of the inven-r J tion illustrated 'in Figs. 1 to 5. inclusive, comprises a prism-shaped box 7 closed. at the bottom,back and ends and open at the front, and.

a substantially flat and rigid door 8 pivoted to the box, preferably'by means of a rigid leaf member 9 hinged to one edge of the door and to the interiorof the box treat the juncture of the bottom and back, in such a mannerthat it may be swung to closed position over the open. frontof the box with either side of the door alternatively exposedto view. One

'50 side of the door 'may have a pad 10 upon which articles to be displayed may be mounted; and the surface 11 of the opposite side may have the same appearance as the exte-I rior of the box. A projecting tab 12 may be provided at the free edge of the door for convenience inreversing the positionof the door.

The box 7 door 8 and hinge member may be formed of metal, wood or any suitable sheet material such as cardboard, and the box may conveniently be shaped from a blank of cardboard such as shown'in Fig. 4. The blank is scored or weakened along the broken lines 13 to allow the rectangular back 14 and triangular e ds 15 to be bent upwardly from the bottom 16. A suitable paper or fabric covering 17 (Fig. 5) may be adhesivelyapplied over the inner and outer surfaces of the formed blank to unite the parts in the prismatic form of the illustrated box. The door 8 and leaf 9 may likewise be madeof fiat rectangular sheets of cardboard, and the two sheets may be hinged together at their adjacent edges, as indicated at 19, by a' com mon coverlng of paper 18 cemented upon;

face of'the bottom 16 (or optionally to 'the back 14) either adhesively or by suitable fasteners, to provide an edge hinge 21 at the juncture of its back and bottom walls;

Thus the leaf 9 may be swung on hinge 21 against the back wall 14 or the bottom wall 16 of the box, and the door 8 may be swung in the opposite direction on hinge 19 ,to close the box opening and alternatively to expose either of its sides. Owing to the diverging slope of the back and bottom of the box, the free end 22 of the closure (which is preferably shaped to conform to said opening) is prevented from swinging within the box, and seatsagainst the box (either at the top or bottom of the opening) when the door is. in closed position. The shape of the box just described not only aifords opposed. seats against which the freeedge of the door-rests by action of gravity in either of its closed positions, but also provides .a display box of displayed at the proper angle for convenient inspection, and affords economy in space for storing the boxes when the articles are enclosed by reversing the door.

The box shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is shaped for displaying elongate articles Such as a pen and pencil 23 and 24 respectively, and the plusl1covered pad 10 has a pair of elastic loops 25 for retaining said articles thereon. It is obvious, however, that other articles may be suitably mounted upon a display pad or upon one side of the door in any desired manner, and that the structure of the box may be varied as desired.

or example, the modified box 26 shown in section in Fig. 6 may be square or rectangular, and its cover 27 may close an opening in the top of the box. The leaf 28 is hinged to the cover 27 at 29 and to the bottom of the box at 30 in a manner similar to that above described, the hinge SO'being arranged along the medial line of the box bottom so that the leaf may swing from one side to the other of the top opening. In such construction it is advisable to provide ledges 31 along the inner surfaces of the back and front of the box adjacent the opening in order to support the free edge 82 of the closed door.

A display box constructed as above described is simple and economical to manufacture and combines in a unitary and compact structure the advantages of a protective container and an attractive display stand. The unique arrangement of the reversible door obviates the necessity of a separable cover for the container or an exterior standard for supporting the cover when it is swung to exhibit the articles displayed thereon. It will be observed that the hinge leaf pivotally connecting the door to the interior of the box is preferably rigid, there by constituting a support for one edge of the door, and that the rigid member is hinged to the box along a line parallel to and approximately equidistant from the opposite box v edges bordering the opening of the'box, so that the hinge member moves angularly with respect to the box when the door is swung from one closed position to the other.

Although I have referred to the reversible box'member of the container above described asa door or cover, it will be understood that these terms are not used in a restrictive sense,

but merely to distinguish the described part from the deeper element of the container to which it is connected; for it is apparent that the reversible member is itself an element of the container and that it may constitute the bottom or a side of the closed container, depending upon the shape of the container and its position when at rest. It will also be understood that structural details of the specific embodiments herein illustratedmay be varied to suit particular purposes without departing from the essence ofthis invention as defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A container of the class described comprising a pair of complemental box elements, one of said elements constituting a reversible member movable to closed positions over an opening of the other box element with either of its sides alternatively exposed to view, and a hinge part connected to one end of the reversible member and to the interior of the other box element, the hinge permanently interconnecting the box elements and being movable angularly of the container when the box elements are swung relatively to each other to move the reversible member from one of saidpositions to the other, one side of the reversible member being adapted to display an article mounted thereon and said article being enclosed within the container when said member is reversed.

2. A container of the class described comprising a relatively deep box element, a complemental box element constituting a reversible member movable to closed positions over an opening of the deeper element, wit-h either of its opposite sides alternatively exposed to View, and a hinge permanently connected to one end of the reversible member and to the interior of the deeper element at a position approximately equidistant from the opposite edges of' the box opening, whereby the two box elements may be swung relatively to each other to move the reversible member from one closed positionto the other, one'side of the reversible member being adapted in one of said positions to display an article mounted thereon and said article being enclosed within the container in the other position.

3. A container of the class described comprising an open box, a reversible cover movable to either of two closed positions over the box opening with either otits opposite sides alternatively exposed to view, and an elongate hinge member of substantially rigid sheet material connected to the cover along one edge of the latter and to the interior of the box along a line substantiallyeqnidistant from opposite edges of the opening,

the hinge member being movable toward 0 P posite sides of the box when the cover is swung from one of said positions to the other,

one side of the cover being adapted to display an article'supported thereon when the cover is in one closed position and the aijzicle being enclosed within thecontainer when the cover is reversed.

' t. A display box having a reversibledoor movable to either of two closed positions over an opening of the box with its respective sides alternatively exposed'to view, and a substantially rigid member hinged to one edge of the door and to the interior of the box at a position approximately equidistant from the opposite edges of said opening, said member being movable angularly ofthe box when the,door is swung from one of said posit-ions to the other, one side of the door being adapted to carry articles for display when the door is in one closed position and said articles being enclosed within the box when the door is reversed.

5. A combined container and display stand comprising a box having diverging walls at opposite sides of an opening thereto, a reversible door movable to either of two closed positions over the opening alternatively to expose either of its sides, one edge of the closed door seating against one of said diverging walls, and a substantially rigid member hinged to the opposite edge of the door and to the inner surface of the box along a line parallel to and approximately equidistant from the ends of said walls, said member being moved within the box when the door is swung from one of said closed positions to the other, one side of the door being adapted to mount articles for display when the door is in one closed position and said articles being enclosed within the box when the door is reversed.

6. A combined container and display stand comprising a prism-shaped box having bottom and back walls and an open front, a reversible door for closing the front opening, a substantially rigid leaf hinged along one edge to an edge of the door and along its opposite edge to the interior of the box along the juncture of its bottom and back walls, the leaf being moved from one wall to the other when the door is swung from one closed position to the other alternatively to expose its respective sides, one side of the door having articles mounted thereon for display when said side is exposed and said articles being enclosed within the box when the door is reversed.

Signed by me at North Attleboro, Massachusetts, this 7th day of January, 1930.

RUSSELL I. RHODES, JR. 

